The internet is chock-full of astrology-based compatibility searches, such as “do Taurus and Pisces make a good match?” or “signs Aries don’t get along with.” And while looking up your compatibility with other signs is fun to do, and could give you some general insight into how you might get along with — or, if you might fall in love with — another sign, using Sun signs to garner more insight on astrological compatibility is too broad to know for sure.
The 12 Sun Signs of Western Astrology
Many of us are, to some degree, aware of our Sun sign. In Western Astrology, a Sun sign is the astrological sign that the Sun was under at the time of your arrival into this world. Because of that, it is connected to your birthdate, and the first thing you probably think of when someone asks, “what’s your sign?”
If you’re not familiar or need a quick refresh, here are the Sun signs in astrological order, according to birthdate.
Aries: March 21 to April 19
Taurus: April 20 to May 20:
Gemini: May 21 to June 21
Cancer: June 22 to July 22
Leo: July 23 to August 22
Virgo: August 23 to September 22
Libra: September 23 to October 23
Scorpio: October 24 to November 22
Sagittarius: November 23 to December 21
Capricorn: December 22 to January 19
Aquarius: January 20 to February 18
Pisces: February 19 to March 20
Whether you’re new to astrology or a regular subscriber to your horoscope, having an understanding of your Sun sign can be a great place to start and beneficial to your understanding of who you are, according to the cosmos. But, in a lot of ways, the Sun sign can’t tell you enough about yourself — or your compatibility with others — because it’s not as unique to you and your entry into this world. “Our Sun sign gives us important information about how we want to be seen and what lights us up, though that is only one element of our personality,” explains Rebecca M. Farrar, M.A., an Archetypal Astrologer. “The planets in relationship to the Sun can also greatly influence us,” she adds.
Put simply, the Sun sign is your “make” but there are other things that make up your “model.” To find out your model, you’ll need your birth date, place of birth, and time of birth. Once you have that information, you’ll want to look up your Astrology Birth Chart, also known as a Natal Chart.
Astrological Compatibility, Sans the Sun
We might mostly identify with our Sun signs but Farrar Recommends considering our entire chart as who we are vs. one sign under one planet — especially when it comes to relationships. “The complexity of relationships is part of the mystery of the soul and love and looking at it as a larger picture can be more helpful rather than taking just one aspect of it,” she explains.
Instead of looking at the Sun sign, Farrar says to pay more attention to the Moon sign, Mercury sign, Venus Sign, and Mars sign. Farrar also says to look at the partnership asteroid Juno in the Natal Chart.
Moon: According to Farrar, our Moon sign offers a closer look at our emotional process. “In relationships, the moon can influence our emotional rhythms and home life, making romantic partnership easier or more difficult,” she notes. “The Sun is what we shine into the world and energizes us, but it doesn’t encompass our inner world or emotional process of the Moon, which can often be more telling of compatibility,” she adds. Farrar also notes that a Moon sign can be helpful to look at when determining compatibility of roommates or living with a significant other.
Mercury: Mercury is all about communication and our perception, or the way we process information. “With similar communication styles in a couple, it can make things much easier to navigate,” Farrar explains.
Venus: Our Venus signs are representative to how we connect to others and “the type of people we are magnetized to in friendship and romantic relationships,” says Farrar. “When we have strong Venus contacts between two [people’s] charts, it can feel easy to feel compatibility or a sense of connection. It’s the bond between people [that] can reveal our love language, reminding us of the unique combination of factors that lead to satisfaction in our relating [to each other],” she adds. Farrar also says that wherever Venus lies on our chart can also reveal and help us understand “why we have different ways of interacting with others and appreciate the nuances of our needs and theirs.”
Mars: “Mars in the Natal Chart symbolizes how we move in the world and what inspires and motivates us,” says Farrar. “In romantic relationships, it’s also our sexuality and what turns us on,” she adds.
Juno: This asteroid is all about commitment and “represents the qualities we may look for in a partner for long-term success rather than attraction, such as [we do with] Mars or just feeling connected [like with] Venus,” says Farrar. “It doesn’t mean we need to be with someone who is the same sign as our Juno,” she adds, noting that the qualities of it can be particularly beneficial.
